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Home > Blogs > Dawging the Browns > Archives > 2008 > August
August 2008
WR Wilson among final cuts
Travis Wilson was a third-round bust after all.
The Browns acknowledged this today by releasing the wide receiver, a third-round draft choice in 2006, as part of paring the roster to the 53-player limit.
Other notables released were LB Shantee Orr, WR Steve Sanders and LB David McMillan. And guard Lennie Friedman was placed on injured reserve, thus ending his season, although no injury was immediately specified.
Injured draft picks Beau Bell, a linebacker, and Martin Rucker, a tight end, are part of the 53 but won’t be ready to play at the start. Both are coming off knee surgery.
The other three draft picks made the squad.
In a minor surprise, cornerback A.J. Davis was cut.
Others updating their resumes are TE Brad Cieslak, WR Efrem Hill, TE Kolomona Kapanui, S Travis Key, OT James Lee, WR Lance Leggett, S Brandon Mitchell, LB Chase Ortiz, OT Jonathan Palmer, CB Jereme Perry, DE Melila Purcell, K Jason Reda, OF Derrick Morse, OT Marvin Philip, DE Chase Pittman and RB Travis Thomas.
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What to make of winless preseason
OK, what did we learn from this 0-4 preseason?
I’m open to suggestions, but here’s what I think we know after watching as much of those four games as I could possibly endure:
1. Three quarterbacks might not be enough. If Derek Anderson can’t shake the concussion cobwebs, Brady Quinn will step in and do a decent job. I’m confident of that. He has the skills and the makeup. But what happens if Quinn goes down? Then you’re stuck with Ken Dorsey and then your season is over. Scary. Better start massaging that emergency list.
2. There’s not enough depth. It’s the best talent we’ve seen on a Cleveland roster since the franchise’s 1999 rebirth, but they still look short in a few spots, namely cornerback, safety, running back and maybe receiver (although Braylon Edwards apparently is 100 percent now after the heel injury sustained during horseplay with fellow wideout Donte Stallworth). And you know there are going to be more injuries.
3. Panic is unwarranted — at least for now. Upset the Cowboys next week and nobody will care about a winless preseason or how bad they looked at times. At least we know the team won’t be suffering from a false sense of superiority off anything that happened in August. And maybe we won’t have to hear about how they took a team lightly, as was the case last season in an early loss at Oakland.
4. Ty Law would look good in an orange helmet. The cornerbacks are young and the safeties are hurting. If Law has anything left, the Browns probably need to find out, within financial reason, of course. He knows the defense, at least, and could help on the field and off.
5. It’s a fact being tossed around to placate the fans and make them feel good: The 1972 Browns went 0-6 in preseason — can you believe they actually played six of these things back then? — and still made the playoffs, losing to the undefeated Miami Dolphins, who went 17-0 that year. And the quarterback was Mike Phipps, so maybe there’s hope.
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Jurevicius out for at least six games
In what hardly qualified as a surprise, the team placed rehabbing receiver Joe Jurevicius (knee surgery followed by obligatory staph infection) on the reserve/physically unable to perform list today.
It means he’ll miss the first six games of the regular season for sure and probably a few more.
Doesn’t look like it’s going to be a final season to remember for Joe, does it?
And that’s a shame, because the Cleveland native was so looking forward to contributing to a legitimate playoff contender in his hometown (which the Browns still are, by the way, no matter how sloppy and miserable they’ve looked in preseason and no matter what any of these national talking heads might tell you).
In cutting down to the NFL-mandated roster limit of 75, receiver Kevin Kasper was put on injured-reserve, ending his first season as a Brown before it could begin, and three players who had little hope of making the squad — DB Damon Jenkins, DL Brian Schaefering and RB Austin Scott — were released.
In regard to Jurevicius, after six weeks the Browns have a three-week window (Weeks 7-9) to allow him to start practicing.
There are other stipulations and regulations, but what it comes down to is this: Don’t expect to be seeing Jurevicius and his reliable third-down hands on the field much this season. (And, of course, don’t waste a fantasy pick on him.)
And with Kasper also gone and Braylon Edwards (heel) and Joshua Cribbs (ankle) hobbled, if you see any able-bodied receivers wandering around, point them in the direction of the Cleveland Browns Training Complex, 76 Lou Groza Blvd., Berea, Ohio.
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DB Daniels acquired from Dolphins
If the first two exhibition games demonstrated anything, it’s what the team already knew:
Its secondary — starters included maybe? — is a little (a lot?) short of playoff-quality.
So here comes Travis Daniels, obtained Wednesday from the Miami Dophins for an undisclosed draft pick.
Waived as a result was rookie Mil’Von James and his annoying mid-name apostrophe.
Daniels, 6-1 and 195 pounds, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Dolphins in 2005 out of LSU. The three-year veteran has played in 44 career games with Miami, starting 25, with three interceptions.
He played a lot when the Dolphins were one of the worst teams in the NFL. Presumably they are a little bit better this year, and now they don’t want him? I’m suspicious.
But he can play both cornerback and safety, so that versatility might come in handy at some point. And he does have some experience.
Last season with the downtrodden Dolphins he started five of the 16 games in which he appeared and snagged one pick.
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Clearly not ready for the spotlight just yet
How much hitting in training camp is too much or too little?
Browns head coach Romeo Crennel thought he had struck the proper balance.
Now he’s not so sure?
To me, that was the most disappointing aspect of Monday’s 37-34 preseason loss to the New York Giants on ESPN — hearing Crennel second guess himself in his postgame press conference for having gone so lightly on the team during camp.
“Unbelievable,” Crennel said. “Evidently we didn’t do enough work. I told the team it’s my fault for trying to save them in practice by not hitting.”
NFL training camps used to be all about the hitting. Pads popped and people applauded. Eventually, most coaches (Dick Vermeil a notable exception) realized such an approach has a wearing effect later in the season and they scaled back.
Troubling that Crennel, entering his fourth season on the job, still hasn’t figured how to walk that fine line between getting guys ready to play and still keeping them fresh.
And you didn’t need to be a coach Monday to see the Browns were not ready to play, not ready for prime time, not ready to be taken seriously as a supposed playoff contender as they fell behind 30-3 early in the second quarter.
For what it’s worth, I’ve never thought the Browns did enough hitting in training camp under Crennel. Maybe they did too much under previous coach Butch Davis, but it seems the pendulum has swung too far the other way. Say what you will about Davis, but his teams would hit you in the mouth — sometimes after the whistle maybe, but in the mouth.
Believe me, I’m not trying to suggest Davis had it all figured out either, but a team’s attitude and disposition are honed in training camp. Maybe a full-contact scrimmage with another team (Davis favored these) would have helped.
Sure, it’s only preseason, but when you’re a team that’s being hyped nationally to the point of annoyance, a game like this hurts.
Not to mention the injuries. Let’s see. Starting quarterback Derek Anderson forced out with a concussion and bruised hand. Safety Brodney Pool with a concussion. Pro Bowl kick returner Joshua Cribbs with an ankle. Linebacker Leon Williams also sidelined.
Backups, including quarterback Brady Quinn and heretofore unknown receiver/returner Syndric Steptoe (great name), helped make a game of it, but generally the Browns could not have laid a larger egg in their first of many national TV appearances this season — or looked worse, by the way, in those solid-brown pants.
And to hear Crennel say he dropped the ball by running an easy training camp? That just tied a big ribbon on an ugly package.
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Another hit to the draft class
Who will be the last draft pick standing?
You wonder, because they’re dropping like flies.
Thursday, rookie tight end Martin Rucker becomes the latest to see the inside of an operating room, scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery that will keep him out from four to six weeks, the Browns said.
Linebacker Beau Bell, the team’s other fourth-round draft choice, is coming off a similar procedure and might not play at all this season under the worst-case scenario.
It’s been suggested that 2008 will be a redshirt season for Rucker and Bell. That means both could wind up on injured reserve.
Rucker twisted his knee Monday in practice, three days after turning heads by catching several passes against the Jets in his professional debut.
Costly loss in that the Browns traded their third-round pick in next year’s draft to Dallas to get Rucker in the fourth round.
The Browns traded their top three draft picks to acquire QB Brady Quinn and defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams.
In terms of actual 2008 draft choices still on the practice field, the Rucker injury leaves three — sixth-rounders WR Paul Hubbard and DT Ahtyba Rubin and seventh-rounder LB Alex Hall, who might end up helping the most, at least this season.
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Ex-Buckeye signed for secondary
If either of the defensive backs acquired over the weekend makes an impact this season, I’d bet on Brandon Mitchell, the former Ohio State player.
Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker coached him at OSU and Mitchell credits him for knowing how to get the best out of him. Now, whether that “best” is good enough to help in some way, we’ll see.
No question about it, the Browns are scrambling for backup help, even more now that they had to release Gary Baxter.
Understandably alarmed (panicked?) over how poorly some of their non-starters played in Thursday’s 24-20 preseason-opening loss to the New York Jets, the Browns waived Steve Cargile on Sunday while signing Mitchell and Travis Key, who played at Michigan State.
This is Mitchell’s second year in the league. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder went undrafted in 2007 and spent last season on the Houston Texans’ practice squad. This after playing in 45 games at safety for the Buckeyes.
As an OSU senior, Mitchell ranked fourth on the team with 51 tackles and had two interceptions.
Key (5-10, 185) was a former walk-on at Michigan State and played in 40 career games with 113 tackles. He started at strong safety for the Spartans as a senior and picked off a couple of passes.
You’d like to think these are the last two additions to the defensive backfield the team will have to make. But I wouldn’t bet the SUV on it.
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End of the line for Baxter?
No great surprise here. Just kind of sad. Defensive back Gary Baxter is no longer a Brown.
The team terminated his contract today and, no, it seems Baxter won’t be the first to return from dual patellar tendon tears.
He had been in camp, then had surgery to remove cartilage in one of his knee on Aug. 5, bringing his surgery total to at least four since the initial injuries in 2006 caused him to miss all of last season.
GM Phil Savage explained the move this way:
“Last year we were able to hold a roster spot open for Gary as he attempted to make a monumental comeback. After he underwent a knee scope last week, we are unfortunately not in a position to hold a roster spot this year.
“We are releasing Gary today in hopes he will be able to continue his rehab and get back into the NFL, either with another team, or possibly with the Browns. Gary has made tremendous strides thus far and we believe he can play professional football again in the future.”
Baxter’s original injuries occurred Oct. 22, 2006, on a routine play attempting to break up a pass in the second quarter against Denver. He spent all last season in rehab mode, hopeful of resuming his career at some point.
Regrettably, it’s probably not going to happen for him. Good guy. Wish him well.
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Not bad, for openers
Observations from Thursday night’s preseason opener, a 24-20 loss to the New York Jets in Cleveland Browns Stadium:
THE GOOD
1. The quarterbacks. I’m convinced the Browns are covered in the event anything happens to Derek Anderson. Brady Quinn is athletic enough to avoid the rush, smart enough to make quick decisions and accurate enough to keep the chains moving.
2. The young receivers. There’s a lot to like here, including guys such as Steve Sanders, who spent all last season on the practice squad. Just one needs to emerge. That’s all. Just one. Could be Travis Wilson. Maybe he’s not a complete bust after all. He looked to be really getting after it.
3. Braylon Edwards. Hate this cliche, but he seems intent on taking his game to another level. With Donte Stallworth and Kellen Winslow drawing coverage away from him, Edwards could exceed last year’s production.
THE BAD
1. Play of the DBs. The starters — Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald at the corners, Brodney Pool and Sean Jones at the safeties — should be better than fine. Maybe a Pro Bowler will even emerge from this group. But those long TD passes against the backups are cause for concern. A guy named Clowney made them look like bozos. Is it time to give Ty Law what he wants?
2. Ken Dorsey. Lucky this third-string QB is the brains of the operation or he’d be looking for work after a dismal showing that saw him complete 8 of 26 passes with two interceptions.
3. That blown lead. Browns led 20-10 two minutes into the fourth quarter. Anything can happen with second- and third-stringers on the field, so it’s not that big of a deal. Still, you want to believe your depth is better than the other team’s and that certainly wasn’t the case.
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At the movies with Gene Washington
Before grabbing that first cold beverage and sitting down to watch tonight’s exhibition opener between the New York Jets (with Brett Favre on the sideline) and Cleveland Browns at 7:30, it might be helpful to take a look at this instructive video supplied by the NFL.
Highlighted, among other rules changes and points of emphasis, is the death of the force-out rule. A receiver now must get both feet down regardless of whether or not an official thinks he would have done so without contact.
The only exception — and it’s a tad confusing — is if the receiver is carried out of bounds by the defender. Can’t wait to see the first argument over that one.
The Browns, of course, would have made the playoffs last season if not for a force-out play against the Arizona Cardinals involving Kellen Winslow in the end zone that went against them.
Now at least most of the gray area of that rule has been eliminated.
Anyway, your host for this movie is Gene Washington, who really doesn’t have much else to do in the commissioner’s office except look good in a suit and dole out punishment once in a while.
That would be Gene Washington the former 49er receiver, by the way, not to be confused with the former Vikings receiver of the same name who made a habit of terrorizing the Browns years ago.
Happy viewing.
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Looks like Cribbs found a good agent
The sad part of the Joshua Cribbs contract saga is that we’re hearing and reading about it with the preseason opener so close at hand.
It’s almost as if this new agent of his — he fired the last guy — engineered it this way for maximum publicity value at a time when attention is usually focused on the field.
No, of course Cribbs is not going to hold out. Nobody thinks that. He’s already in. How could he hold out?
Yes, the agent is going to prattle on about only seeking “fair market value” for his client, because that’s what agents do. They use the media.
But the Browns are not a cheap organization under the ownership of Randy Lerner and my guess is they’ll get around to compensating Cribbs more fairly after he stays healthy another year and continues to perform at a Pro Bowl level as a game-changing return man.
Eventually, he might command a contract such as the one the Chicago Bears gave Devin Hester, but you can’t blame the Browns for wanting to take a wait-and-see approach.
Where’s the rush, especially with Kellen Winslow’s agent already in GM Phil Savage’s ear and Braylon Edwards’ representative sure to be knocking on the door any day now?
As for this “expanded role” we keep hearing about for Cribbs, teams don’t normally pay for offensive production before it materializes. (Well, unless you’re a high draft choice, but that’s another story.)
What’s more, we’re kidding ourselves if we expect to see Cribbs handle all the return duties — and cover kicks, don’t forget — while also being featured more than sporadically in the offense.
With his hellbent style, he is likely to wear down.
Signing Cribbs as an undrafted free agent from Kent State has been one of Savage’s signature moves, a real coup. Another was to sign him to a six-year contract.
And that contract looked pretty good to Cribbs at the time he inked it. Now it doesn’t look so good, so he’s whining about it.
Cribbs vows not to let his unhappiness become a distraction, but the timing of this story, obviously planted by the agent, suggests it already has.
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Reasons to watch the first exhibition game
Few exercises in sports are as pointless as first NFL preseason games.
Or as anticipated.
You watch because it’s football, the most popular sport we cover at the Dayton Daily News — or anywhere else in the United States for that matter. And you watch because it’s been so long since your team last played.
I’d venture a guess that people in this area are more pumped up for the Browns’ first exhibition game Thursday night at home against the New York Jets (and, yes, the Bengals open on Monday in Green Bay) than for the Olympics, which get under way in earnest this weekend.
Sure, you’ll pay attention to the Olympics now and again. (I’m biased, but I’d suggest reading DDN columnist Tom Archdeacon on a daily basis. He’s over there and already having fun interpreting menu items. He’s even stumbled across the Chinese version of Wal-Mart.)
Grand as the Games are, though, they can’t touch football. Even exhibition football. (Admit it. You watched the Hall of Fame Game. At least some of it.)
You’ll watch Browns-Jets — and you’ll be able to do so on Channel 7 in Dayton — because you don’t have anything better to do on a Thursday night and because it’s football.
Here are some other reasons:
— You want to see how many snaps backup quarterback Brady Quinn gets and how the second-year man from Notre Dame fares. You’re looking for something to tell you the season won’t be a total loss if starter Derek Anderson suddenly goes down in a heap.
— To see any signs of defensive improvement. The Browns gave up 4.5 yards per carry last season and this must change if they are to improve overall. New defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams probably won’t be on the field for more than a few plays, but their considerable bulk — and potential for run-stuffing — should be evident.
— To assess the backups. That’s pretty much all you’ll see after the first series or so, but sometimes clues can be uncovered here. Linebacker Alex Hall, for example, is a seventh-round draft pick from the rough equivalent of nowhere who is getting a lot of hype in training camp. Can the outside linebacker add to the pass rush or is it too much to expect so soon?
— To assess the receivers. A No. 3 wideout still needs to be found and there are many candidates, including the suddenly whiny Joshua Cribbs. Sure the Browns would like for Travis Wilson, a bust so far, to rise up and seize that spot. Rookie Paul Hubbard is one to watch, too.
— To see which running back who won’t make the team becomes a preseason standout in the mold of Madre Hill, Sedrick Shaw and Chris Barclay. My guess? Travis Thomas from Notre Dame.
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OK, the injuries can stop now
Thursday’s revelation that outside linebacker Antwan Peek would undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and be lost for the duration of training camp got me thinking of the one thing that could derail this team.
Injuries are part of the game. Every team deals with them to one extent or another. But every year there seems to be one team that’s hit harder than others.
The Browns can’t be that team and be the team they want to be.
They’re deep, but not that deep.
Peek, who attended Cincinnati Woodward High School and the University of Cincinnati, isn’t a Pro Bowl player, but he’s a serviceable veteran who has demonstrated a knack for getting to the quarterback.
Outside linebacker is a position that thins out in a hurry on this team. With Peek lost, apparently there will be more passing-down work for old man Willie McGinest, and that can’t be a good thing.
Head coach Romeo Crennel said Thursday he thinks McGinest can still get to the quarterback. What else is he going to say?
Remember the name Shantee Orr, however. Like Peek, he’s a former Houston Texan. The Browns signed him as a free agent in the offseason hoping he could help bolster the pass rush.
He’s been playing a lot of inside linebacker during camp, but he can play outside, too, and he’s not 100 years old.
More than anything, Peek’s injury opens the door for Orr.
